PM Says Care Packages & Housing Assistance for Hurricane Victims

Dean Barrow

Today, Prime Minister Dean Barrow called a press conference to update the public on all things Earl – from the damage caused in various sectors to the appeal for relief. He started, quite rightly, by paying tribute to stakeholders who played a vital role before and during the storm, particularly the Police Department, B.D.F. and NEMO. With that said, it was straight into business – the business of immediately assisting those who have taken the hardest hit.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“With respect to individuals and the losses they have suffered, the fact that there are people exposed even now because their homes are uninhabitable, how we hope to proceed is in the following manner. NEMO will provide all those in need with their basic package in terms of water and foodstuff and that sort of thing. Going forward an effort will be made to do a needs assessment talking now with respect to individuals – I know the NEMO Minister is saying in his area, in Belize Rural North, Maskall, the River Valley, the storm really left a trail of destruction, so much so that there was a point at which he feared his own roof was coming off. But we want to take care of the basic needs immediately. Those that cannot, those whose homes are uninhabitable between the Human Development Ministry and NEMO itself we will attempt to provide for temporary housing for them. In terms of the larger picture, what NEMO is going to do with the assistance of Area Representatives – all Area Representatives, is to try and conduct a rapid-fire evaluation and then based on that government will provide resources to assist these people. Now please pay careful attention to the word I am using – assist. It is not going to be possible to rebuild homes for people who might have been unfortunate enough to have their homes damaged to a point where it is beyond repair.”

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